


Step Up

by IntrovertedRavenclaw



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Caring Magnus Bane, Fluff, Just let him rest, M/M, Poor Alec has the flu, Seriously Super Fluffy, Siblings, Sick Alec Lightwood, Sickfic, Sleepy Alec Lightwood, he just wants to sleep but Izzy and Jace keep calling, they're trying to run the Institute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 14:47:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15145463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrovertedRavenclaw/pseuds/IntrovertedRavenclaw
Summary: Alec is knocked completely on his butt with a nasty flu and Jace and Isabelle try to run the Institute in his absence.





	Step Up

**Author's Note:**

> This took so long to write so I hope you enjoy :)

Alec wakes up and immediately feels completely miserable. His head pounds, his body aches, and when he swallows experimentally, his throat erupts in pain. He groans, rolling over and reaching for the warmth of Magnus' chest.

"What's wrong, love?" Magnus asks sleepily. 

Alec coughs weakly. "I feel... off."

Magnus sits up, frowning, and places his palm on Alec's forehead. "Well, that would be why. You're burning up."

Alec struggles to comprehend, his brain in a haze. "...I'm sick?"

"You have a high fever at the very least," Magnus says. "You might have the flu."

"No. No no no no, I don't have time to be sick," Alec sits up and regrets it because his head is spinning. Magnus shushes him and eases him back onto the pillows. Alec coughs. "The Institute is so crazy right now, with-"

"Shh," Magnus runs his fingers through Alec's hair. "Stay home today."

"Nobody is running the Institute, Magnus, I-" Alec breaks off to cough again, then the realization hits him and he frowns. "If I stand up I might pass out."

Magnus chuckles. "I'll get ahold of Isabelle. Do you need anything while I'm up?"

"No," Alec croaks. 

* * *

"Bad news," Isabelle says by way of greeting to Jace. She's standing in the ops center and Jace has just come over to her. "Alec is sick."

"I figured. I can feel it. Some distress through our bond, I mean." Jace frowns. "So what's the plan? Force him to rest and then pry his unfinished paperwork from his cold, dead hands? Drug him?"

"No need, he's staying with Magnus," Isabelle replies. "The plan is to figure out how to run an Institute. I told Magnus to tell him it's all under control."

"Is everything under control?" Jace asks. 

"Of course not." Isabelle sighs. "But you know that if we tell him that we don't know what we're doing, he's gonna drag his sick ass here, and he needs to rest."

"How sick is he?" 

"Probably just a cold." Isabelle answers. "Magnus didn't seem too worried but mentioned a fever and a cough. We can call Alec if we need help with something."

* * *

"Let's take your temperature," Magnus says, handing Alec a thermometer. Alec puts it under his tongue and blinks sleepily at Magnus. "I called Isabelle, she says they have everything under control and that she and Jace will come over later if you're feeling up to it."

The thermometer beeps, and Alec takes it out of his mouth and hands it back to Magnus. "There's no way everything is under control. I should go to the Institute-"

"You're not going anywhere with this fever," Magnus interrupts. "102.8 degrees."

"I... what?" Alec stammers. "I feel cold..."

"I'll get you another blanket," Magnus promises. "Do you feel like eating anything?"

"N-no. I feel dizzy. Nauseous?"

"You'll probably feel better with a little food and tea in you," Magnus says. 

* * *

"Hello?" Magnus answers Alec's phone when Isabelle calls. 

"Magnus, can I talk to Alec for a second? Jace and I need help finding-"

"Alec is... a little busy at the moment," Magnus replies. Isabelle cringes when she hears a bit of the background noise. 

"Is he throwing up?" She asks, shooting Jace a worried glance. 

"Yes," Magnus answers. "I'll hand him the phone in a second, right now isn't a good time."

"Obviously," says Isabelle. "You know what? Never mind, Jace and I can just figure it out. Alec is probably not up to telling us what to do."

"I agree. He's completely miserable." 

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Alec croaks in the background.

"I'll give him the phone now," Magnus says. 

A second later, Alec's tired voice comes through the speaker. "Hey."

"How are you feeling, Alec?" She asks.

"Been better," Alec replies drily. 

"You sound terrible," Isabelle says worriedly. "Have you been resting?"

"No, I ran a marathon." Alec coughs, and Isabelle braces herself for more vomiting on the other side of the phone.

"Are you throwing up again?" As Isabelle asks this, Jace raises his eyebrows in alarm. 

"Not just a cold?" Jace asks in a hushed voice. 

"No. Have a cough too." Alec sniffles. "Think 'm done throwing up." 

"Do you know where the key to that one filing cabinet is?"

"Is it not in the desk drawer?" Alec replies. "You're gonna have to be more specific. My brain is mush."

"The filing cabinet. Not the one closest to your desk, and not the one farthest away, but like average distance. Labeled 'Downworlder affairs, Accords, etc.'. We need to fill out one of those forms for a rogue vampire." Isabelle says. She's standing in her brother's office, trying to best describe the filing cabinet that she needs the key to. 

"Y-you lost me," Alec admits. "Which cabinet?"

"The filing cabinet. The one kinda near your desk but not the closest one. Um, it's gray... grayish green. Or greenish gray. We just need- oh, wait, never mind." She spots a keyring sitting on the desk with keys to all of the filing cabinets. 

"Izzy, what do you need from me?" Alec's voice sounds hoarse and tired. 

"Nothing anymore, I just found what I needed." She says. "Sorry for stressing you out. Go get some sleep."

"Okay..." Alec still sounds confused. "Bye. Love you." And then he hangs up. 

* * *

"They do not have the Institute under control, Magnus!" Alec exclaims, his voice raspy. He dissolves into coughs as soon as he's done talking. Magnus conjures an emesis bin, which he holds under Alec's chin. Alec glares. "I'm _not_ throwing up."

"Just a precaution," Magnus says. "I think that was just a one-time thing anyway." He runs a hand through Alec's hair, and he relaxes. "Do you need anything?"

Alec considers this a moment. His brain is running at a snail's pace. "Umm... water? Oh, and tissues if we have some?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Magnus kisses his forehead and summons a bottle of water and a box of tissues. "Try to sleep at some point. You need the extra rest."

Alec sips the water. "Come lay with me?"

With Magnus beside him, Alec is just on the verge of drifting off when his phone rings. He groans, refusing to sit up and answer the call. He's sick, dammit, he should be allowed to ignore phone calls. 

Magnus answers instead. "Hello? He just fell asleep, what is it now?" 

Then Magnus sighs and shakes Alec gently awake, handing him the phone. 

"Hello?" Alec rasps. 

"Hey Alec," Jace says. "How are you doing?"

"Mmh. Not so good." Alec sniffles. "Just achy, tired, all that."

"Yikes. Sorry to bother you," Jace responds. "But how should I fill out this form?"

Alec sighs. "What form?"

"You know, the mission form."

"You're gonna have to be more specific." Alec pinches the bridge of his nose. 

"A group of younger shadowhunters just got back from a mission dealing with an out of control werewolf in Chinatown. What should they fill out, report wise?" Jace asks. 

"Umm..." Alec sighs. "Th-the downworlder one."

"Which one?"

"Downworlder affairs-" Alec coughs weakly. "And the accords."

"Okay." There's a pause. "Where can I find that?"

"F-filing cabinet. Labeled." Alec yawns. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Jace answers. "Feel better. Get some rest."

"I'm trying," Alec says, not even bothering to hide his frustration, then he hangs up. 

"I'm sorry," Magnus apologizes as soon as Alec is off the phone. "I should not have woken you up for that. Jace said it was of 'utmost importance'."

"'s okay," Alec lays his head on Magnus' chest, sniffling. "I'm blocking everyone's number."

"Everyone's?" Magnus chuckles. 

"Everyone," Alec repeats. "In the world. Nobody calls me. Then I'll sleep for a year."

"Sleeping for a year would do you good," Magnus agrees. "I'll put your phone on silent and only answer it if it's important. You should be focused on getting better, not on running the Institute from your deathbed."

"Not my _deathbed_." Alec yawns. Then he shivers. "I'm so cold."

"You ought to be feeling _hot_ ," Magnus notes. "You were over 103 degrees when I last checked."

Alec coughs. "Can't help it. Entire body is rebelling."

Magnus chuckles, pulling the covers over Alec more. "Go back to sleep, Darling." 

* * *

Jace finishes up a report, and then Isabelle files it away appropriately. 

"What now?" Jace sighs, running his palm across his forehead. He's quickly realized that running the Institute is an exhausting and thankless job; not to mention he can feel a very muted version of what Alec's feeling through their parabatai bond. If he feels this rundown, then he can't even imagine how bad Alec must be feeling. 

"We could put together field mission lists for tomorrow," Isabelle suggests. "You know, assignments for who is going after what. Or we could let Alec do that from home. I know he usually likes to do that."

"No," Jace says. "You and I need to do it. Alec was confused earlier on the phone. And he's feeling awful. There is no way he is up to completing important Institute work."

"Can you feel how he's feeling?" Isabelle asks. 

Jace nods. "Very slightly. He's likely feeling ten times worse than I am. I'm just slightly dizzy, a little achy."

"Let's finish up this one last thing," Isabelle suggests. "Then go see how he's doing. We can pick up dinner on the way."

* * *

Magnus is relieved that Alec manages to nap for four hours, then wants to get out of bed and move to the couch. Magnus covers him with a light blanket, as he's no longer shivering, makes sure he's drinking fluids, and places the box of tissues within arm's reach. Magnus is in the middle of soothing Alec's headache with magic and Alec is taking his temperature when someone knocks on the door. Magnus sends one last little pulse of magic, then pushes the door open with another gesture. Isabelle and Jace stand in the doorway. 

"Hey," Isabelle greets. "We brought dinner. You hungry?"

Alec takes the thermometer out of his mouth, frowns, and hands it to Magnus. 

"Oh, good." Magnus sighs in relief. "It went down. Magic wasn't working when I tried to use it to bring your fever down earlier, so either it was delayed or you're getting better on your own."

"My fever is gone?" Alec asks confusedly. "I still feel..."

"You're at 101.4. You're still too hot for my liking, but at least your brain isn't in danger of becoming a scrambled egg anymore." Magnus answers. "you're more coherent. Do you think you could eat something?"

"We brought soup," Isabelle says, handing the container and a plastic spoon to Alec. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly better," Alec sniffles, bringing a tissue to his running nose. "I slept almost all afternoon, and I'm not nauseous anymore."

"Good." Jace puts a hand on his shoulder. 

"How's the Institute?" Alec asks. 

"Fine," Isabelle says. "We had a few hiccups but nothing is crashing and burning."

"Yet," Alec points out. 

"By the time things start to go south, you'll be feeling better enough to fix it," Jace jokes. "It's good to see you didn't puke up your sarcasm."

"Stop, don't talk about vomit while I'm eating." Alec groans, but he smiles weakly. 

"I'm keeping him home tomorrow too, if not the next day," Magnus tells Isabelle and Jace. 

"Just call if you need help," Alec adds. 

"Call _me_ in case he's sleeping," Magnus says. "When Jace called earlier, waking him from a nap, he threatened to block every number in the world."

"I did not," Alec laughs, causing him to start coughing.

"You were out of it," Magnus replies. "with your fever."

Isabelle and Jace both smile and sit down on the couch to eat. Alec falls fast asleep as soon as he manages to eat some of the soup, and Magnus sends a few pulses of magic his way to ease any aches and pains and lower the fever. 

"Thanks for taking such good care of him, Magnus," Isabelle whispers, knowing Alec is a light sleeper, especially when he's sick.

Magnus smiles softly. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."

Shortly after, Jace and Isabelle fall asleep on the couch as well. Magnus summons two additional blankets, to cover both of them. He's seen Alec at the end of the day enough times to know that running the Institute is _exhausting_.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/kudos are appreciated.


End file.
